The Masquerade
by Gustavo Lequerica Calvo
Summary: Stacy a new student in the USF finds herself in the middle of a millennial battle that everyone thought it was a mere legend.


**VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE**

**Light Overture**

**Book One**

**Written by:**

Gus Lequerica Calvo

**CHAPTER ONE:**

**150 YEARS AGO IN THE SHADES OF THE BAY**

Jonah Julius was running quickly in the night of the many labyrinth streets of Ybor City; he was running from his clan because they gave the order to kill him of treason to his own kindred; and Jonah wanted to keep living at any cost; but finding a place to rest was nearly impossible as Ybor City was a territory of the Toreadors and being a Toreador he knew he was doom from the very observed. The only way to survive was venturing in the territories of the Brujah, they had more shadowy places to hide, but that mean to go and sleep in the enemy territory.

While Jonah was running, he only kept thinking about staying alive, but all Toreadors from Ybor were looking for him, except he wasn't going to get captured easily, he was going to fight his freedom, because no Toreador would go by themselves to the regions of such monsters.

Ybor was completely in silence, but Jonah knew he was being followed; his kindred weren't going to let him escape as he was one the responsible for the death of Lady Steffania D'Argento, although he wasn't the one who killed her, but his people where bloodthirsty and they were looking for an scapegoat.

Before being free, he had to pass the Spanish Club, or as it was known the nest of the Toreadors. The club was located strategically to defend the area from the Brujah clan, also was located in a point that everyone who went in and out were saw by the elders. It was the only exit, but he didn't have any choice, he had to pass running really quickly and face all the vampires that were there in the proximities. He breathed, and crossed himself and whispered "God, I just want to keep living", then he grabbed his strengths and went running really quickly almost to the point of gliding in the midair.

He was flying, he wasn't touching the ground and he was sure that he was going to be free, but then something blocked his way; someone intercepted him before reaching the outer limits, he was falling and rolling in the street. All bloody and hurt, Jonah stood up and started to look for the responsible, but he didn't saw anybody or sense anyone; he started to feel scared because something hit him very hard.

"Who's there? Reveal yourself!" but no one answered. It was the first time in his lifetime that he felt total fear. "Answer me scumbag!, I am going to rip your head!" shout Jonah while exposing his fangs and claws, but no one answered; but the moment Jonah was going to start running again, something grabbed his left foot, something shadowy… his worst fears came alive, when he saw the shadow hand… he didn't fight and bend on his knees while the shadows consumed him slowly, he didn't opened his eyes, because he knew he was going to be sucked into the Abyss.

"That was the legend of Jonah Julius, a vampire that it was said to live in Ybor City" Said Stacy Flannigan when she ended the story of Jonah; everyone in the room were in silence, because no one ever heard the old Ybor legend be told in such a fun way, and at the end of the story there was a standing ovation in the room, specially because Stacy was new in the Storyteller Guild of Tampa Bay.

That day of April 22 of 2004 was really special to Stacy because she wanted to badly to join the Tampa Bay Storytellers Guild and she did it when she helped the organizer Gina Niarkos, one day by accident Gina almost lost an important envelop and thanks to Stacy's luck she was the one who find it and return it, and as a way to say thank you, Gina invited her to the next Storyteller meeting.

For Stacy, the legends of Tampa Bay where her passion, she knew every single one them and as her passion she expressed them in a blog she maintained about the folklore of Hillsborough County, but her favorite stories where the ones involving vampires since they mixed some truth and lies that captivated many people for many years. The truth with the vampires of Tampa Bay was that some grisly murders happened in the 1800's, murders that leaved several bodies with few amount of blood, and the rest of the legend is mixed with the hysteria that the media gave to something they couldn't explain.

At her return, Stacy took the 50th an alternative path to go to Brandon, the small suburb where she used to live, the street was usually dark and many people used to take the parallel expressway but Stacy was extremely scare of highways and expressways and usually avoided them at any cost. While she was near her home, something passed in front of her really quickly, it was an animal and she by reflex stopped her car because it was strange to see an animal in the middle of the city and especially a suburb that didn't had any vegetation at all.

She didn't saw something probably it was he imagination, maybe she was tired because the meeting ended late and she was falling asleep while she was driving. "I better go home soon", she thought, and as suddenly she stopped she went back to her car and continue driving back to her home, not knowing she was being followed by someone.


End file.
